Precast panel construction



Aug. 20, 1963 IN V EN TOR.

TEA-V0? W. 1941 A.

BY W kw gwv 640422 United States Patent 3,1tl0,952 PRECAST PANEL CONSTRUCTION' Trevor W. Hall, Royal Oak, Mich, assignor to Panel Engineering Corporation, Royal Oak, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 23, 1960, Ser. No. 31,140 12 Claims. (Cl. 50413) This invention relates to a precast panel constrwction.

In present day architecture, it is now possible to use precast panels in the construction of buildings, these panels being formed in advance of the construction and transported to the site where they can be quickly installed to provide the inner or outer finishing surface of a building. These walls formed of prefabricated units are called curtain Walls. As a general rule, they are not a load-bearing wall. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure for precast panels which has the advantage of good appearance and a weatherproof sealed construction which also incorporated insulation.

It is an object of the invention to provide a reasonably light and attractive construction which can be formed of extruded sections which are suitably joined at the corners and in which a special expansion element is provided not only to lock in an insulating panel but also to serve as a sealing member which prevents separation of a cast aggregate from the frame.

Other objects and features of the invention relating to details of construction and operation will be apparent in the following description and claims.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as follows:

FIGURE 1, an elevation of the completed panel.

FIGURE 2, a sectional 'viewon line 2-2 of FIG- UREl. i

FIGURE 3, a sectional-view on line 3--3 of FIG URE 1.

FIGURE 4, a perspective view of a snap-in insert for the janrbs' of the panel.

Referring to the drawings:

The panel is shown having a sill member 10, right andleftjamb members 12 and 14, and a head member 16, all formed of metal such as alununume xtrusion or its equivalent. As shown in FIGUREZ, the sill members have spaced flanges 18 which cooperate with spaced flanges 20 cm the head "members to permit stackin-g ofthe elementsvertically. Similarly, the, flange members 22 and 24 onthe jambs can be to interlock so that the -panels can besealed together horizontally (see FIGURE-3). Each of the members 10, 12 and 14 and 16 are provided with back. flanges 30 which form a continuousseat' for an insulating back plate 32 which is suitably. sealed. around the edges by a strip of sealing, material 34 such as 'Thiokol.

suitably 'spaced The insulating plate 32 is held in place by snap-in strips or retainers flit-FIGURES 3, 4.), each or which comprises a main wall member 42 having a front face flange 44 recessed at 46 on its rear surfacein a groove with re-entrant sides to receive and lock a sealing strip 48. Off-set fromthe main wall 42 is a rearwardly ex tending strip 50 having an angledflange 52'which con-i tributes to the resilience 10f the strip as 'it bears against the back plate 32. The inner corners bf the strip 4! are provided with a groove'54 of semi-dovetail form to cooperate with a re-entrant edge flange 56 to hold the strips 40 in place prior to thecasting operation to be de scribed. -;i 3 t In the formation of the assembly, the "frame lrnenibers j 70 are suitably interfitted and joined at thev corners byweld- I ing or by other known. method gj and the back plate 132 r said retainers and side members having is dropped in place against the flange walls 30 inside the sealing strips 34 of Thiolcol or an equivalent resilient sealing material. The snap-in strips 40 are then applied and if desired, a body of insulating material 60, preferably a light material, is inserted against the back plate 32, preferably having tapered edges 62. On top of this assembly is poured an aggregate material 64 to form the finish surface of the panel. When the aggregate cures, it forms a block whose edge portions are in intimate contact with retainers 40, sill members 10, and the head members. The aggregate can be formed of such materials as quartzite, granite or porcelain glass to give'a wide choice of color and texture and the binding material can be inhibited at its surface so that it can be washed olf to leave the desired texture ,of the aggregate.

It will be noted that the forward surface of the sill member 10 is provided with grooves '66 to assist in the keying of the aggregate to the sill. It is preferable also that the sill section be drilled so that any water which may collect therein can drip down on to a horizontal mullion which acts as a drain trough to run to a vertical mullion and to the outside of the building. The cast aggregate then solidifies against the snap-in members or retainers 40 ion the sides and seals at the vertical edges against the sealing members 48 on the inner side of the face flanges 44.

Upon completion, it-Will be seen that expansion or contraction of the concrete at a different degree .to that of the metal of the frame members will cause the snapin members 40 to shift toward and away from the jamb sections, thus preventing the separation of the concrete from these snap-in members insuring a tight joint at this point. The top flange 3G protects the upper edge of the aggregate and any seepage into the sill is drained oil? as explained above. The slight angle onjthe groove 54 and edge flange 56 is not suflicient tolimit movement 'of the members 40 in the expansion and contractionfuntttion'de'scribed. l

e' resulting panel isfan extremely' light and functional unit which has suitable sealing characteristics and which canservea's a permanent outside finish inmany different sizes and assembly units. I

1i Aprefabricated panel for use in constructionof a curtain wall comprising,

anppen center frame formed of a relatively light weight,

" relatively high expansion co-efiicient material,

4 am ding two end members secured to two i side members and having a front and a rear,

each of said members having an interior surfacewhich faces said open center of said frame,

,1 ha retainer disposed adjacent said interior surface of each side member, a I means adjacent the rearward portion of said framegpro viding rearward support for holding said jretainers i in said frame,

tions adjacent the front of said frame, means forminga joint between the front edge portion of each retainer and'the front edge portion of the side member adjacent thereto, said joints providing frontal support frame, 1 and a block of relatively low expansion co-efiicient for holding said retainers in. said material havinggedge portions intimate contact with.

said retainers and members, 1 i

said joints being expansible in. a side-member-toside- {member direction responsive i said interior surfaces ofcaid end front edge port l to ditferential expain. r 'sion of said frame and blocln.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein each retainer has a flange adjacent its front edge portion ex tending inwardly tow-ardsaid open center and having a rearward face, said block of material being in intimate contact with-the rearward face of each of said flanges.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein a sealing strip is disposed within said recess.

' 6. A prefabricated panelfor use in construction of a curtain wall comprising, i a

' I an open centerframe formed ofa relatively light weight,

relatively high expansion co-efiicientmaterial,v

said frame including two end rnembers secured to two side members and having a front and a rear,

each of said members having an interior surface which faces toward said open center of said frame,

a retainer disposed adjacent said interior surface of each side member,

means adjacent the rearward portion of said frame prosaid frame,

said retainers and side members: having front edge portions adjacent the front of said frame, I 1 means forminga joint between the front edge portion of viding rearward support for holding said retainers in 7 each retainer and the front edge portion of the side terial having edgeportions in intimate c'ontact with' said retainers and said interior surfaces of said end members, I

said block having a rearwardlyxdisposed face engaged against said closure, j V v i said jointsbeing eapansible {in a; side-member-to-silde; m'ember direction, responsive todifierential expansion'of said frame' and block. V i

7. The combination defined in claim "6 wherein said side and end members have'iflange's extending inwardly towardgsaiid open center, said closure including a back 1 .plate having a-rear face retained by said flanges and having a front face retained by said retainers.

'8. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein a body of insulating material is disposed within said-frame and 1 extends throughout, the major portion' of the-open center I of said frame, said block having a rear faceengaged against frontward portions of said body of insulatingmateria-l;

v 9; The combination defined was 7' ares the side andlend membe'rs of said frame.

. peripheral edgesfofsaid back plate are spaced from said so back plate and said side and end members of said frame.

llLA prefabricated panel for use in construction of a' curtain wall comprising: 7

an open center frame of a relatively light weight, relatively high expansion coefficient material,

and frame including two end members secured to two side members and having a front and a rear,

each of said members having an interior surface which faces said open center of said frame,

each of said side members having adjacent its front edge portion. a rearwardly disposed groove,

a retainer disposed adjacent said interior surface of each side member,

each retainer having a front edge portion with a groove interengaged with the groove in the side member adjacent thereto, V i p said 'interengaged grooves forming joints between the front edge portions of said retainers and side. members by which said retainers are frontally held within said frame,

said members having adjacent their rearward portions flanges which project inwardly toward said open 'center of said frame, a closure for the rear of said frame which includes a back plate retainedwithin said frame 'by said flanges, said retainers having rearward edge portions engaged against said closure and thereby holding said closure against said flanges, said retainer-s having adjacent their said front edge portions flanges which project inwardly toward said open center of said frame, t a block of relatively low expansion co-eflicient material having edge portions in intimate contact with said retainers and the region of contact including the rearward faces of said flanges on said retainers, said-bloc rhavingya rearwardly disposed portion engaged against said closure;

, interengaged portions of said grooves being disposed at an oblique angle to the side-member-to-side-memb er direction of said frame so that said joints are 7 expansible in said direction responsive to differential "e'xpansion'of said frame and block.

, 12. The combination defined in claim 11' in one- .rear fiaceengagedby said block. References Citeilin thefile of this patent." i

strips aresealinglydisposed in the'spaces. betweensaid 

11. A PREFABRICATED PANEL FOR USE IN CONSTRUCTION OF A CURTAIN WALL COMPRISING: AN OPEN CENTER FRAME OF A RELATIVELY LIGHT WEIGHT, RELATIVELY HIGH EXPANSION CO-EFFICIENT MATERIAL, SAID FRAME INCLUDING TWO END MEMBERS SECURED TO TWO SIDE MEMBERS AND HAVING A FRONT AND A REAR, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN INTERIOR SURFACE WHICH FACES SAID OPEN CENTER OF SAID FRAME, EACH OF SAID SIDE MEMBER HAVING ADJACENT ITS FRONT EDGE PROTION OF REARWARDLY DISPOSED GROOOVE, A RETAINER DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID INTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH SIDE MEMBER, EACH RETAINER HAVING A FRONT EDGE PORTION WITH A GROOVE INTERENGAGED WITH THE GROOVE IN THE SIDE MEMBER ADJACENT THERETO, SAID INTERENGAGED GROOVES FORMING JOINTS BETWEEN THE FRONT EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID RETAINERS AND SIDE MEMBERS BY WHICH SAID RETAINERS ARE FRONTALLY HELD WITHIN SAID FRAME, SAID MEMBER HAVING ADJACENT THEIR REARWARD PORTIONS FLANGES WHICH PROJECT INWARDLY TOWARD SAID OPEN CENTER OF SAID FRAME, A CLOSURE FOR THE REAR OF SAID FRAME WHICH INCLUDES A BACK PLATE RETAINED WITHIN SAID FRAME BY SAID FLANGES, SAID RETAINERS HAVING REARWARD EDGE PORTIONS ENGAGED AGAINST SAID CLOSURE AND THEREBY HOLDING SAID CLOSURE AGAINST SAID FLANGES, SAID RETAINERS HAVING ADJACENT THEIR SAID FRONT EDGE PORTIONS FLANGES WHICH PROJECT INWARDLY TOWARD SAID OPEN CENTER OF SAID FRAME, A BLOCK OF RELATIVELY LOW EXPANSION CO-EFFICIENT MATERIAL HAVING EDGE PORTIONS IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID RETAINERS AND THE REGION OF CONTACT INCLUDING THE REARWARD FACES OF SAID FLANGES ON SAID RETAINERS, SAID BLOCK HAVING A REARWARDLY DISPOSED PORTION ENGAGED AGAINST SAID CLOSURE, INTERGAGED PORTION OF SAID GROOVES BEING DISPOSED AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE TO THE SIDE-MEMBER-TO-SIDE-MEMBER DIRECTION OF SAID FRAME SO THAT SAID JOINTS ARE EXPANSIBLE IN SAID DIRECTION RESPONSIVE TO DIFFERENTIAL EXPANSION OF SAID FRAME AND BLOCK. 